The 21st century is proving to be intimidating, to say the least. With the world seemingly on fire at every turn, the internet has become a place of solace for a growing majority of the global population. The popularity of fast paced media is at an all-time high with average screen times for teens rising over 7 hours per day.[1] Internet culture is inescapable with niche references to pop-culture, memes and current events bombarding users’ feeds - and they are loving it… Mashine, an artist based out of Switzerland,[2] has capitalised on this phenomenon, creating art that is so loud and unpredictable that it almost catches up to the level of stimulation we have grown to love.
Shaaaaaa (Painting, Mashine, Foundation)
Mashine’s art lives on a fine line between obscure pop culture and creative genius. She has found the perfectly balanced blend of meme references and surrealism to create the ultimate, neon plastered fever dreams. Her airbrush, loaded with candy-coloured palettes brings the most unlikely of crossovers together such as sharks and boobs or Lightning McQueen and Evanescence. These juxtapositions embody the fast-paced scape of online culture and make her work shocking, but oddly fitting for an artist of the digital age.
Emo boy (Painting, Mashine, Zora, 2024)
Although she has proven to be a multi-faceted artist, Mashine has a deep love for the airbrush. In an interview with Overstandard, she explained her penchant for the airbrush stems from its distinction from almost every other medium.[3] Airbrushes are notorious for being difficult to control and using this medium adds many elements of variance that makes the result unpredictable. When airbrushing, you don’t have the same control that you would with a paint brush and there is no going back the way you can using a digital medium. You must commit. When most people would see this as a downside to the medium, Mashine leans into, viewing the unpredictability as an aid in the creative process.[4] It removes the ability to scrutinise or get overly perfectionistic, as Mashine says, ‘I don’t know when the painting is finished; I just tell myself, “Okay, stop now, or you’ll ruin it”’.[5]
Gang (Painting, Mashine, Zora, 2024)
This philosophy of embracing imperfection produces some of the most stunning results. Mashine has to be deliberate and specific when she is adding detail. This selective approach to detail creates a unique combination of simplicity and intricacy. Many of her prominent works play with the distortion of colour, texture and depth, living somewhere between hyper-realism and abstraction. This formula further defines her personal style whilst enhancing the surreal, nostalgic quality that resonates with her fans.
Airbrushing is not her only forte though. Whilst her Instagram account mainly showcases her airbrushed artworks,[6] Mashine has had a very successful career in the NFT world selling her artworks on various platforms. A deeper dive into her Foundation,[7] Zora[8] and Objkt[9] accounts show a keen interest and experience in photo editing and manipulation. Following on from her other creative endeavours, these pieces are still very surreal and bizarre in nature often depicting hyper-realistic distorted selfies. These pieces show a clear fascination with human anatomy, and she has a real knack for creating body-morphs that are just as interesting as they are unsettling.
Horse (Digital artwork, Mashine, Zora, 2024)
Whether you are a die-hard gooner yourself or struggle to keep up with the pace of media, internet culture continues to push the limits of stimulation and shows no signs of slowing down. Artists like Mashine are paramount in continuing to push the envelope and adapt their art to reflect culture. Surrealist styles seem to be replacing the reign of realism and traditionalism as the rise of AI has introduced new challenges. With AI replicating artwork at the click of a button, many artists feel the foundations of career falling from underneath them. But still, innovators like Mashine continue to remind us of one question: Could AI make this? As long as the answer to that question is no, then innovators and pioneers will continue to thrive, reinventing the art scene as they go.
As the age-old saying goes: Art imitates life. Mashine shows us that art not only imitates but distorts life, reflecting our ever-growing craving for stimulus. In an environment where some artists are beginning to panic as the industry evolves, it is refreshing to see artists that welcome and embrace change. Mashine has shown to be one of the most adaptable artists of the times, welcoming the emergence of NFTs and adapting the content and styles of her art to keep up with the social media beast. Fearless creativity, like Mashine’s, paves the way for future artists, reminding us that art can always adapt and thrive through evolution.
Excuse me ma'am, you can't park your car here (Painting, Mashine, Zora, 2024)
Learn more about Mashine through her Linktree Here
[1] Fabio Duarte, ‘Average Screen Time for Teens’, Exploding Topics (Blog Post, 11 November 2023) <https://explodingtopics.com/blog/screen-time-for-teens#average>.
[2] Rubén Palma, ‘10 Quick Ones with MASHINE’, Overstandard (Blog post, 18 October 2022) <https://overstandard.dk/10-quick-ones-with-mashine/>.
[3] Rubén Palma, ‘Mashines First Hyper Revelation Part 2’, Overstandard (Blog post, April 4 2024) <https://overstandard.dk/?s=mashine>.
[4] Ibid.
[5] Ibid.
[6] Mashine, ‘@mashiiiine’, Instagram (Social Media Account) <https://www.instagram.com/mashiiiine/>.
[7] Mashine, ‘MASHINE’, Foundation (Digital Portfolio/NFT Platform) <https://foundation.app/@mashine>.
[8] Mashine, ‘MASHINE’, Zora (Digital Portfolio/NFT Platform) <https://zora.co/@mashine>.
[9] Mashine, ‘MASHINE’, Objkt (Digital Portfolio/NFT Platform) <https://objkt.com/@mashine>.
Featured Image: Happy skibidi Friday everyone 🥳 (photograph, MASHINE, Instagram 26 October 2024) <https://www.instagram.com/p/DBjVEaVsRIn/?img_index=1>.
